Fortification
by iamzie
Summary: What if sanzo didnt go on to become sanzo? what if he remained just plain koryu? Read to find out, its not just the usual stuff!
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Saiyuki. And I didn't create it. But I'm damn glad Minekura Kazuya-Sama did.

--zie here, hmmm, is this a good plot? Please tell me so I'd know if I should continue it or not. Thanks! --

**FORTIFICATION**

Chapter One

_A young man running with all his might groping the walls of obscurity..._

Koryu looked back at the temple. It seemed only like a tiny pyramid from where he was sitting now. Darkness was creeping in fast, and he couldn't go any further, not because of the murkiness of the forest but because of his injured knee. He had been running at full speed then, his lean body carrying a satchel containing his only belongings. He wasn't supposed to have any at all, as was the custom of those in the way of religion, but he still kept what was his. Some people called him a "hardheaded brat", but _why the hell should I care _he would always say, and he was always backed up by Komyo Sanzo. His possessions included a few meager clothing, and a bead-bracelet given to him by the Sanzo himself a few days ago. A few days before he decided to flee the temple, seeking for something more than just a simple life of prayer and devotion. Somewhere between his thoughts of the Sanzo and the decayed logs on the forest floor, Koryu lost control of his footing and went toppling down the inclination. After a few hours, he had managed to drag himself from the pit he had made from his fall and was now a few hundred meters away from the blasted site.

_I wonder if they have already noticed my absence, though I doubt that because I never eat with them or do anything unnecessary with them, and its not as if they even remotely wanted me to join them. Sanzo is too busy to notice me, but its not his fault. But those kids.. those rotten kids who hate me for no reason at all, who make fun of me because, I'm what, blonde? _Koryu watched the small flickers of light on the feet of the forest and leaned back against an old wretched tree probably sapped of all its value because of the collection of parasites living on it. He could feel his weight as he leaned on the tree and so decided not to rest too heavily on it. There he again fixed his gaze at the distant temple till night rid him of light. The moon was new that night and he soon fell into a spell of sleep.

Warm water trickled down Koryu's chin. _Where's the water coming from?_ He could only see pale streaks of white rising from every corner of his eye. Elsewhere were myriads of green lightning. But no water. He shook his head to clear away his vision, then he opened his eyes slowly, hands shielding his eyes so that the bright light wouldn't hurt them. Sure enough, the sun was way up high and he could feel the burning sensation in his skin. He stood up and wiped himself free as much as possible from the clinging grass and soil. _Where do I go now?_ he asked himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw

Something moving. _Or perhaps someone. Someone who will take me to a village where I can start over again, not just any weird kid, but someone respected..._With that, he carried his weight on his good foot and followed his senses.

--Please review this, thanks! I'll update soon! -zie --


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Saiyuki. And I didn't create it. But I'm damn glad Minekura Kazuya-Sama did.

--zie here, hmmm, is this a good plot? Please tell me. Thanks! --

**FORTIFICATION**

Chapter Two

_A young man running with all his might groping the walls of obscurity..._

The chatter of the nearby town quickly enlivened the footsteps of the lighthearted Koryu. He had been following the slow pace of a couple of old villagers who had ventured into the forest collecting herbs and leaves of different plants. He kept his distance from them as far as possible, making certain he wasn't detected. On his way, he himself had collected a wide array of odd shaped fallen leaves, some in shapes he could readily identify with. One had the shape of a temple; the other had the shade of dusk. It fascinated his troubled mind and every addition to the collection gave him an unusual feeling of contentment.

It was already dusk and soon, Koryu ventured alone into a lively little town where many people still walked the streets and many vendors pleaded people passing by to buy their wares. One such vendor called to him and Koryu curiously approached her. She was an old but strong lady, and he could see that she was skilled at what she does, selling knitted clothing from hats to socks and little leather purses and bags. Koryu thought of his own satchel that was patched up in many places and smelled of old age. _It must be older that me _he thought remorsefully. He stared at the new bags and wondered how he was going to get money to get those. His conscience spoke to him and told him that _before you think of getting one of those, you better find a place to spend the night. The streets won't do, as well as running back to the forest._ Koryu looked at the old woman and gave her a weak smile. "See anything you want, little boy?" He shook his head. "Where's your parents?" He shook his head again. The sudden thought of having no parents made his eyes start to filling with tears. _So why aren't my parents with me? _He kept on drawing deep breaths till he was finally able to speak without bursting into tears. Slowly, he told the woman, "I don't have parents." She smiled at him. "Poor you, who's taking care of you then?" Koryu smiled back weakly. He couldn't tell her that he ran away from the temple. _What should I tell her? _He looked down at his feet and hurriedly tried to find an answer but couldn't. The old woman now looked at him questioningly.

--Please review this, thanks! The more reviews, the faster the next chap will be up. Why? Coz you guys are my inspirations! Ü -zie --


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Saiyuki. And I didn't create it. But I'm damn glad Minekura Kazuya-Sama did.

--thanks to those who reviewed, I felt really glad about it. Thank you.—

--zie here, hmmm, is this a good plot? Please tell me. Thanks! --

**FORTIFICATION**

Chapter Three

_A young man running with all his might groping the walls of obscurity..._

"Uhm... I don't actually depend on anyone right now..." his answer didn't seem right. The old woman permanently fixed her gaze on him now. Her face was grim. "Well, you go on then, and try to find someone soon." Koryu nodded. He turned around and suddenly he realized that he was already hungry. It's been almost 2 days since he had left the temple and followed an old couple into this town where he thought he could make a living for himself. _It's not easy. I can't even think of anything I could do for a living. You're no good Koryu, you know that? That's why they called you a... _"Hey!" came the old woman's voice. Koryu froze. "Wait."

Koryu turned around again to face the woman. He noticed that she didn't seem so stern anymore. She looked younger too as she stood up to get something from her back. "Here," she handed him a small packet. "This would get you through the night, seeing that you have almost nothing with you." Koryu thanked the woman in the most grateful voice that he could muster and went on to the main road.

A few minutes later, when he couldn't see the woman's store anymore, he opened the packet the woman gave him. Inside was some sort of bread, more like a cake. It had an irregular shape, as if molded by the fingers and left without being shaped. Looking around cautiously, he held the packet near his nose and breathed in deeply. The cake had a wonderful aroma. He took a small nibble and it instantly melted in his mouth. _What wonderful food the old lady gave me!_ Koryu quickly walked to the nearest wall and there, he slowly ate the cake until only half of what was originally given to him was left. He wasn't full, but he decided that as long as he wasn't hungry anymore, there would be no point in stuffing himself when he could save the food for tomorrow. And that's what he did. He carefully wrapped the food in the packet and placed the precious package inside his satchel. His hand found the array of leaved he had collected some time ago and he decided that he was going to give some of his best finds to the woman tomorrow. In fact, _that's the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow. Thank her for her generosity. Even though she was dressed with only simple clothing and looked like she was also striving in life, she gave me this rich food, it must have been the only good thing she's got to eat and she had given it to me..._

....................A thin child slept that night outside the house of the Graf family. He had dirty blonde hair, and that was unusual for local folk unless he had foreign descent. His grimy yet peaceful face clearly showed that he was determined to do anything to survive. Like the storm tonight, he knows how he will suffer from the cold, but he also knows that like any unfortunate event, this will pass him and he will be able to go on again.............

--Please review this, thanks! The more reviews, the faster the next chap will be up. Why? Coz you guys are my inspirations! Ü -zie --


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Saiyuki. And I didn't create it. But I'm damn glad Minekura Kazuya-Sama did.

--thanks to those who reviewed, I felt really glad about it. Thank you.—

--zie here, hmmm, is this a good plot? Please tell me. Thanks! --

**FORTIFICATION**

Chapter Four

_A young man running with all his might groping the walls of obscurity…_

The young woman was surprised to see a half-frozen boy lying outside the house that morning, so much that she dropped the basket she was carrying. There had been a cold storm the night before and she was about to distribute some warm bread to her neighbors. The child on the ground was barely breathing and appeared so blue that she immediately dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the child. He was very thin and she was able to carry him back to the house, half-running, half-shouting for help. Immediately a number of people rushed out towards the lady and she transferred the boy into an able man's arms. 'Get the doctor. Hurry. He's freezing to death."

The boy was laid on a warm bed and wrapped with many layers of thick blankets.

The young lady started wiping his face, his hands and his feet with a warm towel continuously. Other maids started to follow the act and soon there was a group of women vigorously keeping him warm.

Lady Graf, the youngest daughter of the masters of the house was a compassionate woman. She had been like that ever since she was young, and in turn earned the deep trust of her servants as well as the poor in the society. Today, because of Koryu's sudden arrival, instead of herself going to the slums, she had a male servant tasked to deliver the bread instead. She fretted for a long time till the doctor came and checked the child's vital signs.

"He's been exposed to the cold too much, and he has to take these.." the doctor handed over a prescription paper. "But it's a good thing you brought him in and kept him warm. He would have died if it wasn't for you.." Lady Graf smiled at the last comment and accepted the paper graciously. She gave the list to a servant who sped off to get the medicine. "So he'd be alright?" she asked. The doctor nodded, "thanks to you."

She looked at the child's now clean face and stroked his cheek tenderly. He looked foreign, with blonde hair and a narrow nose. He was breathing much more now and looked like a peaceful little angel. And then, the thought hit her. _His parents must be worried sick._ She quickly made a mental note to herself. _As soon as he awakens I have to ask him who his parents are and where he lives. _She continued staring at the dozing child.


End file.
